Gurdwara in Nankana Sahib in Pakistan.A GATHERING of Sikh devotees at Nankana Sahib in Pakistan Friday adopted a proposal presented by Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi) president and former chief of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee Paramjit Singh Sarna where he sought to declare Guru Nanak Dev’s birth place as the sixth Takht of Sikhs.
Another resolution by Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) endorsing former Punjab chief minister Beant Singh assassin Jagtar Singh Hawara as ‘jathedar’ (chief) of Amritsar-based Akal Takht as declared in November 2015 ‘Sarbat Khalsa’ was set to come up before the gathering late Friday evening.
Gopal Singh Chawla of PSGPC said Sarna presented the proposal, which the gathering welcomed with slogans. Chawla added that the proposal was “subject to discussions” before a final call was taken. There are five Takhts of Sikhs currently with Akal Takht being the highest temporal seat of Sikhs. The other four are located at Anandpur Sahib, Talwandi Sabo (both in Punjab) and Takht Patna Sahib in Patna and Takht Hazur Sahib in Maharashtra.
“Eh saari qaum da masla hai (This issue is related to entire [Sikh] community. No single person can decide on this. And even if there is a proposal, this has to be deliberated upon by the head priests of five Takhts,”
Former SGPC secretary Dalmegh Singh said proposal for sixth Takht of Sikhs cannot be considered in isolation and entire Sikh community needed to be taken into loop. “There is already a confusion about maryada (traditions) followed at existing Takhts as there is no uniformity. So the entire Sikh community will need to deliberate if there is any such proposal,” Singh said. “Moreover, Nankana Sahib has its own historical religious importance as it is birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev ji,” he added.
Chawla, meanwhile, told The Indian Express that “a resolution by PSGPC endorsing Jagtar Singh Hawara as Jathedar of Akal Takht as announced in November 2015 Sarbat Khalsa was to be presented in the night after my speech and would be passed”.
After the unrest in Punjab over desecration of Guru Granth Sahib in Bargari and subsequent police firing on anti-sacrilege protestors in Kotkapura and Behbal Kalan in October 2015, Hawara who is in Tihar jail was appointed as parallel chief of Akal Takht in “Sarbat Khalsa” organised by Simranjit Singh Mann led Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) and Mohkam Singh led United Akali Dal in November 2015.
As Hawara was in jail, another leader Dhian Singh Mand was appointed as ‘acting jathedar’ of Akal Takht in the Sarbat Khalsa. Mand is currently spearheading Bargari morcha, which among other issues seeks action against perpetrators of desecration incidents and police firing on anti-sacrilege protesters.
